Typhoon Goni hits Japanese mainland

Local TV footage showed Typhoon Goni overturned cars and caused damage to shops and houses on the southwestern island of Kyushu.

Goni has reached the Sea of Japan, but the storm was still expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to wide areas of south-western Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Tens of thousands were advised to evacuate their homes as authorities warned of landslides, swollen rivers and high waves in the region.

About 250 flights were cancelled and dozens of train services suspended, while hundreds of thousands of households lost electricity in south-western Japan and on Okinawa island, broadcaster NHK reported.

At 1pm (local time), the eye of the storm was over the Sea of Japan, about 90 kilometres north-west of Hagi city, travelling north at 35km/h, the agency said.

The typhoon made landfall on Arao city on Kyushu early on Tuesday.

The 15th typhoon of the season carried maximum sustained winds of 126km/h and gusts of 180km/h, the agency said.

Rainfall of up to 250mm was forecast for the Kinki and Tokai regions and up to 200mm for the south-western island of Shikoku, by noon on Wednesday, it said.